Wire-stretcher



(No Model.)

0. J. LA BAUVE.

WIRE STRBTGHER.

No. 341,251. Patented May 4, 1886.

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NVEJVTOR ./ttorney-S N PETERS, Phuwumagmpher. wnslvingmn, D. c.

` UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE.

oDnLoN .iosnrii LA BAUVE, on EDNA, TEXAs.

WIRE-STRETCHR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,251, dated May 4, 1886.

Application filed February 9, 1886. Serial No. 191,327. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ODELON JosnPH LA BAUVE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edna, in the county of Jackson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved wire-stretcher, showing it in operation. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same, and Fig. 3 a perspective detail view of the handle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

My invention hasrelation to devices for,

stretching fence-wires and for drawing the ends of Wire together and uniting them in repairing fences; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of the saine, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the main bar of the device, which bar is provided with a vlongitudinal slot, B,

throughthe sides of which passes a shaft, C, upon which a pinion, D, is secured, revolving within the slot. A rack-bar, E, meshes with its upper cogged edge with the pinion, sliding in the lower end of the slot, and a short bar, F, is secured in the lower end of the slot below the raclcbar, having its ends projecting beyond the slot, supporting and guiding the rack-bar. The upper edge of the pinion is engaged by a p awl, G, having a short handle, H, projecting out at one side of the slot and having its other end cut-off to stop thepinion when revolved toward the said end, while the other side of the end of the pawl is beveled, so as to allow the cogs of the pinion to slip under it. A spring, I, bears between that end of the pawl and the upper end of the slot and forces the end of the pawl to engage with the cogs of the pinion. A ratchet-wheel, J having square cogs, is secured upon oneendof the pinion-shaft, and the perforated lips K K of the handle L are pivoted with their perforations upon the shaft, one at each side of the ratchet-wheel, and pawls M M are pivoted between the lips of the handle, engaging opposite edges of the ratchet-wheel, and having a spring, N, bearing against the outer ends of the pawls, being confined between the said ends of the pawls and between the lips of the handle. A sleeve, O, revolves upon the handle below the lips, being conned by a shoulder upon the handle, which is lettered l?, and which bears against the outer end of the sleeve.

The inner end of the sleeve is formed with a lip or Harige, Q, tapering toward its ends, and this lip may be brought to bear alternately against the outer ends of the pawls by revolving the sleeve upon the handle, and will force the said ends inward in such a manner as to disengage the inner ends of the pawls from the ratchet-wheel. One end, It, of the rackbar, which I will term the forward7 end of the bar, is turned upward, and is formed upon its upper end with adownwardly-facing shoulder, S, provided with agroove, T, and a ca1n-lever, U, is pivoted upon the side of the upturned end of the rack-bar, and has its inner serrated cam end, V, projecting into the said groove, the cam end of the lever tilting freely to the rear, while it will bear against the bottom of the groove when tilted forward. A crosspiece, W, is secured upon the forward portion of the rack-bar, inside'of the upturned end,

and the ends of this cross-piece are vertically recessed, as shown at X, and have the lower ends of two jaws, Y Y, pivoted within them, the said jaws having a screw, Z, for drawing them together and apart. The upper end of the main bar is formed with an upwardly-facing shoulder, A', having a groove, B', in its inner portion, and the lower serrated or roughened cam end, C', of a cam-lever, D', projects into this groove, the lever being pivoted upon the side of the bar, above the shoulder, and having its cam end tilting freely forward out of the groove, but binding against the bottom of the groove when the cam end of the lever is tilted rearward. lVhen slack is to be taken up in a wire fence, the main bar is secured to a portion of the wire by means of the cam or clamping lever, and the rack-bar is drawn out toits farthest extent, the pawl being raised ICO from the pinion and the ratchet-handle being adjusted to revolve the pinion for forcing thebar outward. rPhe clamping-lever at the outer end ot' the rack-bar is now clamped to the wire to be tightened, and by reversing the pawls upon the handle' and roeking the saine the pinion may berevolved, so as to draw the rackbar and the wire toward the inain bar.

rlhe slael; produced between the portions of wire held by the inain bar and held by the uptnrned end of the rack-bar may be disposed of in any suitable inanuer, being wound or twisted up, as niay be desired, or eut oi't' after having united the nearest portions.

Vilhon two ends of wire are to be spliced or united, the ends of wire are clamped by the clamping cani-levers upon the niain bar and upon the rack-bar after the raclebar has been forced suiiiciently ont to grasp the wire a distance from the end, and after having brought the ends of the wires together the said ends inay be clasped and held between the jaws oiY the vise upon the rack-bar, and united by twisting; OrLit the wires are too short and a piece otI wire has to be spliced in between the ends, the said piece of wire may be held by the vise, while the ends of the wires may be held by the clamping-levers. It will be seen that by turning the sleeve upon the handle the pawls may engage the pinion l'roni either side, so that the said pinion maybe revolved in either direction by siniply rocking th'e handle, thus either drawing the rack-bar in or out. rlhe pawl engaging the pinion will prevent the pinion from revolving backward when the rack-bar is drawn in, preventing` the strain of the wire which is being stretched from slipping the wire and rack-bar out again if the handle is released.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United 'States- In a device for stretching and repairing wire, the combination of a niain bar having a longitudinal slot, and having an upwardlyfaeing shoulder provided with a groove, a guideblocl: in the lower end of the slot, a shaftjournaled in the sides ofthe slot and having a pinion within the slot and a ratchet-handle at its outer end for revolving it, a spring pawl engaging the pinion, a cam-lever pivoted upon the upper end of the inain bar and engagingthe grooved shoulder with its cani end, a rackbar sliding in the lower end of the slot upon the guide-bleek and meshing with the pinion, and having its forward end turned upward and provided with a clamping cam-lever, and erosspiece upon the rack-bar inside ofthe upturned end having two visejaws pivoted in its recessed ends, provided with a screw for operating them, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own have hereunto atiixed illy-signature in presence of two witnesses.

ODELON JOSEPH LA BAUVE.

XVitnesses:

GEORGE F. SiMoNs, R. EUG-ENE Buur. 

